Ron DeSantis, other 2024 GOP hopefuls address abortion at Faith and Freedom Coalition event
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis led a robust field of 2024 Republican presidential hopefuls descending upon Washington on Friday for one of the first multi-candidate cattle calls of the primary cycle, with their positions on abortion receiving prime attention.
DeSantis, who closed out the first day’s candidate speeches, received headliner treatment during the two-day event, with his remarks preceded by a hype video and an introductory speaker to preface his roughly 40-minute remarks. The Florida governor highlighted what he views as his administration’s accomplishments, including imposing new abortion restrictions in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
"We have also delivered in Florida on promoting a culture of life and that means signing the heartbeat bill into law that protects unborn children when there's a detectable heartbeat," DeSantis told the conference Friday.
DeSantis touched on cultural issues more broadly, calling on fellow conservatives to "proudly put on the full armor of God" to "restore sanity to this nation."
In April, the Florida governor signed a six-week abortion ban into law, replacing the state’s prior 15-week ban and codifying one of the nation’s most restrictive bans.
Speakers who preceded DeSantis touched on some of the same issues, with former Vice President Mike Pence going further than other candidates in calling on every Republican presidential candidate to commit to supporting a 15-week abortion ban nationwide.
"Let me say from my heart, that the cost of life is the calling of our time, and we must not rest and must not relent until we restore the sanctity of life in the center of American law, in every state," Pence said.
"I want to say from my heart, every Republican candidate for president should support a ban on abortion before 15 weeks as a minimum nationwide standard," he continued to applause from the crowd.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has shown willingness to buck his party on many issues, such as vetoing a since-stricken state law that would restrict gender-affirming care for trans youth, nonetheless voiced his support for federal restrictions on abortion.
"Yes, as president, I would fight to make sure taxpayer funds are not used to support abortion," Hutchinson told the ballroom. "And if Congress acts, I will sign a federal law to restrict abortion as well as president in the United States."
The Road to Majority Conference -- the Faith and Freedom Coalition event billed as one of the largest forums for conservative and Christian activists -- will coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court stripping away the constitutional right to abortion in the landmark case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
Abortion, which won big on many ballot measures during the 2022 midterms, is often cited as the reason for so many Republican windfalls last November. The GOP took a decisive stance against the practice ahead of the elections and have eased significantly around the topic ahead of the 2024 race.
The former president has taken credit for nominating Supreme Court justices who delivered the Dobbs decision but also says "It was the 'abortion issue'" that lost large numbers of voters during the midterms. In May during a CNN Town Hall, Trump said he was able to pull off what other Republican presidents couldn't but again wavered around the issue.
"Deals are being made. Deals are going to be made," Trump told a voter. On whether he would sign legislation imposing a 15-week federal ban on abortion, Trump repeatedly wouldn't answer.
"What I'll do is negotiate so that people are happy," he said.
Faith & Freedom's Iowa Coalition held its first gathering of candidates and potential hopefuls back in April, when most of the current field had not been announced yet. At the time, announced presidential candidates included Hutchinson, Ramaswamy and Johnson, who addressed the Clive, Iowa crowd. Trump addressed the crowd virtually. Pence and Scott, who were at that point expected to announce 2024 runs, spoke as well.
At the time, Trump did not address his March indictment, but said he was the "most pro-life president" in American history for appointing the U.S. Supreme Court justices that he said led to the Dobbs decision.
"Those justices delivered a landmark victory for protecting innocent life," Trump said. "Nobody thought it was going to happen, they thought it was going to be another 50 years because Republicans had been trying to do it for exactly, at that period of time, 50 years."
The Saturday leg of the Road to Majority Conference will be capped off by keynote remarks from former President Donald Trump at the “Patriot Gala.” It will also feature remarks from former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, talk show host Larry Elder, and other Republican notables.
ABC News' Lalee Ibssa and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim contributed to this report.
